TACLOBAN CITY – The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) committed to deliver 50,000 liters of water daily to the northern relocation site, heeding President Rodrigo Duterte’s order to ease the sufferings of families badly displaced by supertyphoon “Yolanda.”
The infrastructure agency converted its four trucks intended for maintenance works into delivery trucks carrying water storage bladders.
Last week, the DPWH main office brought two trucks to this city intended for water service of families now living at the resettlement sites.
Each water bladder can store 10,000 liters while each truck holds 8,000 liters of water.
The volume is enough to supply the needs of 500 families living at Villa Sophia in Barangay Tagpuro and Villa Diana in Brgy. New Kawayan, Edgar Tabacon, DPWH regional director, said.
The city government, local water district, and some non-government organizations support the water needs of other resettlement sites.
“We will continue to bring water to relocation sites for as long as the medium term or long term water supply projects are not yet done,” Tabacon said.
During the 3rd anniversary commemoration of Yolanda on Nov. 8, Duterte asked Presidential Assistant for the Visayas Michael Dino and government agencies involved in reconstruction works to ensure enough water supply in relocation sites.
Earlier, the Local Water Utilities Administration (LWUA) has approved the P159 million water supply plan as a medium term solution to the water shortage problem at the resettlement area.
The project will run for six months while waiting for the implementation of the P527 million level 3 Tacloban North Water Supply Project of LWUA and Leyte Metropolitan Water District (LMWD).
The LMWD and DPWH agreed to iron out issues related to right of way acquisition needed for the installation of water pipes. (SARWELL Q. MENIANO)
